Michael Hakim Week 6 - The Day I Almost Died

     Okay, okay calm down. I know the title is a bit alarming. Don’t worry, I am completely fine now, but in 2016 on that one specific day at Six Flags America, I sure wasn’t. Today, I will be telling you about something that happened - or nearly happened to me - that not many people know about, and that without my dad there, could have gone really, really south.

     It was a normal day at Six Flags America, in Maryland on a chilly April morning in 2016. My family was staying at my grandparents’ house during spring break, which was a yearly tradition at the time, and we decided to take a little break and spend some time at the park. After all, I have always been a major thrill-seeker, always eager to go on the next biggest roller coaster. For me, the scarier the coaster, the better.

     I started my day off with a couple really intense roller coasters, and though they were fun, I wasn’t satisfied. I wanted bigger, and I wanted scarier. There was one roller coaster in the distance that loomed over the whole park, its many loops and intense speeds haunting me from all the way across the park, and it was called The Joker's Jinx. I needed to go on this ride.

     After a lot of begging, my eager 11-year-old self finally got his wish granted to go on the ride. My dad and sister escorted me to the ride, both planning to go on the ride with me. After waiting in the not-so-long line, we finally made it to the top of the ride. When my sister, who was just 9 years old at the time, saw the ride up close, she decided not to go on out of fear. This decision of hers may have ended up saving my life.

     I, being the eager thrill seeker I have always been, was still eager to go on the ride. I happily sat in the seat next to a few other people and started buckling my seatbelt, as my dad and my sister waited on the other side of the waiting area, anxiously watching my every move. I continued trying to buckle my seatbelt until I realized one thing - it wouldn’t click closed. I started to panic, as everyone else was already buckled in, and I was still struggling to even close my buckle.

     The ride operator started counting down from 10, and when he reached 1, he would start the ride. I still wasn’t buckled! He eventually got down to 3, then 2, then 1, and just in time, my dad noticed and shouted “STOP!” at the ride operator. One of the staff saw that I wasn’t buckled and stopped the ride. She then came and buckled me up properly. My heart was pounding. All I could think about was what could have happened had my dad not called out the operator. As you can see in the photo, this is no smooth roller coaster. If I wouldn’t have been buckled and the ride started, it could have been fatal for me.

     Well, that’s my story. I am eternally grateful to be here today telling this to you all. If there’s one takeaway from this, it is to make sure that you are buckled properly on roller coasters!

Question: Have you ever had a scary experience like this? If so, what happened, and why was it so scary?









 

Comments

  1. Atara BerkowerOct 26, 2021, 6:19:00 PM

    That is a crazy rollar coaster! Something that I can take from this story is to always let someone know if you are not ready or having difficulties. Letting the operator know if something is wrong can save your life, as it did for you. This lesson also shows the same for school. Always let your teacher know if you are having trouble with something, they will always help.

    ReplyDelete
  2. AnonymousOct 26, 2021, 9:54:00 PM

    Thankfully I’ve never experienced a situation like this, but this sounds terrifying. I can’t even imagine myself in that situation. Although shout out to Elad for saving you.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Mrs. HOct 28, 2021, 7:40:00 PM

    That sounds so scary. You really did a good job of making me feel the fear! I don't go on roller coasters - they make me feel sick, and I don't like the feeling of being on them. I guess my adrenaline sensors are broken or something.

    ReplyDelete
  4. AnonymousOct 31, 2021, 2:10:00 PM

    I can't imagine how that must have felt or what I would have done if I was on the roller coaster. I can't believe that the attendants for the ride didn't check the seats before the ride started! This is a major lawsuit just waiting to happen. Thankfully, you weren't the ones who would have had to sue.

    ReplyDelete

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